Occupy Wall Street Demands Action, Protester Says as 'Union March' Draws Thousands (VIDEO)
Occupy Wall Street demonstrator Robert Camiso of Park Slope, Brooklyn has told The Christian Post why he joined the demonstration as he and thousands of other marched towards City Hall and through Lower Manhattan.
Occupy Wall Street protesters joined with representatives from 15 labor unions as they marched northward to City Hall. Unions taking part included the AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers, The United Federation of Teachers, and Transit Workers Union.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka offered backing to the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York City and elsewhere in an effort “to make the top 1 percent pay their share.” Activities are planned currently in Boston, San Francisco, Portland, and Denver. Demonstrators gathered over the weekend in Los Angeles but there were no incidents of arrests.
Mormon presidential candidate Mitt Romney, however, spoke out against the protests today describing it as "class warfare" and "dangerous."
Another presidential candidate Herman Cain has also said that he doesn't understand what the demonstrators are actually demanding.
Although peaceful, the so called "Union March" was the movement's largest yet and despite there being a massive potential for trouble and mass arrests, as of 6 p.m. none had yet been reported.
The New York Police Department booked around 700 protesters last Saturday in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, bringing the number arrested since the protests began almost 18 days ago to more than 1,000.
Although demands have not been formally rendered, and have been loosely stated, the list involves bank bailouts, corporate greed, and social inequality in addition to a general list of complaints as varied as the protesters themselves.
New York officials have made no serious efforts to eject the protesters from Zuccotti Square where they have been posted for 18 days now, although fire officials are questioning the use of propane tanks that have been used for cooking.